One person died and a police officer was seriously injured in a severe fire at a refugee centre in the northern German city of Buchholz in der Nordheide near Hamburg on Monday.
The officer suffered severe burns, according to a spokesman for the fire brigade. A policewoman and a member of staff at the refugee centre were also injured.
A body was found in the building but the identity of the deceased is not yet clear.
Initially, there were "indications of a fire hazard" in the morning, according to a police statement. Two officers and two employees of the accommodation centre then noticed the smell of petrol in the building. Suddenly there was an explosion. The accommodation then caught fire.
By midday, about 150 emergency services rushed to the asylum seekers' shelter. The operation is ongoing.
